After a fun four days in London, it was time to return to the United States. On the outbound I reviewed JetBlue's Mint Suite, which is the standard business class seating on the transatlantic A321LR. For the return I flew in JetBlue's Mint Studio, which is the name of the first row of seats in…
Continue reading: JetBlue Mint Studio Review: Is It Worth The Upgrade?
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Not having a lounge agreement is a HUGE disadvantage considering all of the other upsides of the B6 product and experience. Should be easy to address with a contract lounge that’s is crying out for revenue right now.
Great Review Ben! Just one thing is I noticed you made a typo where you said we haded instead of Headed to the other part of T2.
I trust you judgement...but not sure about $299 for a bit of a bench, some extra storage and PJs. Same menu, same service levels....only thing really going for it is served first and you're off the plane first. Perhaps if I was traveling with a companion in Biz behind the bench might be useful for a visit. Don't get me wrong, I'll take F on the 77W on AA in a heartbeat vs. the J cabin...but at least you get a more functional seat (The window desk is always cool) and (at least pre-covid) there was the extra soup course and typically better wine - plus the cappicinno machine (sadly now gone). Not feeling it on the Jetblue offering, for whatever that's worth.
Yaaas! I hope B6 is still be here for many years to come. And she will still be fabulous. 😉
I'm one of those who beg to differ. I rather not have a lounge than to put up with the BS the US3 dishes out, from substandard service, covid related unnecessary cost cutting to everything on a tray covered with plastic and plastic cups to limp and unhealthy dishes that my dog wouldn't put up with, I much rather have it the B6 way.
A few thoughts based on a past JFK-LAX trip planned for Mint Studio:
1. Not every flight has the Studio on this route, so if your flight is cancelled you are likely back to a regular Mint seat (not even a Suite). We had a cancelled flight, were delayed 24 hours, and only got 1 of our 2 Studio seats back.
2. We also had a maintenance issue on our seat, with the recline not working properly. The gate agent had bumped us back to a Suite seat during boarding, but upon checking it out we elected to keep the Studio seat with a recline issue. We were advised to request a refund for the broken seat.
3. Travelling with a lap infant - this seat provides significant additional space for the kiddo (and parent) to sleep comfortably, assuming the seat is working properly. Well worth the $199 charged if in a similar situation.
4. JetBlue refused to rebook on AA biz during mechanical IRROPS despite offering a codeshare on the route. If flying AA, it would presumably be no problem to get endorsed over to JetBlue. They also initially refused to rebook on the first available flight, noting that we had a "discount" Mint ticket and limited fare class availability. After significant pushback, the counter agent relented.
5. I ended up filing a DOT complaint over the issues after 1 month of radio silence from JetBlue after submitting a request for a seat refund. About 3 weeks later, seat fee refunds were received, along with small compensation for failure to meet their own Passenger Bill of Rights on the rebooking. First time I've flown JetBlue and first time I've filed a DOT complaint. Not a good start. lol
The lack of storage comment amongst bloggers is always hilarious to me. The average person doesn't have that much shit to store lol. Under the foot rest is where most folks put items. More than enough space in the Suite from what I could see.
I assume you skimmed the post, because Ben said:
> At the $299 price tag I think I’d probably skip the Mint Studio next time, and would settle for a Mint Suite. Perhaps I’d be more inclined to book the Mint Studio if traveling with someone, so that we could dine together (assuming the tray table works).
So… it’s not clear what you’re “not sure about” re: his judgment given that he agrees with you.
It seems if you don't like tomatoes, you're kind of screwed when flying Mint. Countless dishes with tomatoes both on your outbound and inbound flight, Lucky.
What I do not understand is why and how, in front of significant new competition, American doubles down on offering the crappiest possible service, using Covid as an excuse but Covid is clearly not a deterrent on Jet Blue. Service on my LHR-JFK flight last week was bad to the point of seeming intentionally so.
Unless of course, the links between B6 and AA have developed to the point of AA not minding giving up its premium London traffic to B6. What's next? Jet Blue in Oneworld ?
During normal times, T2 is spoiled with good lounges. I suspect that issue will correct itself in due time.
Two observations about catering: Do they double cater soft drinks in JFK? I don't think Bubbly is available in the UK. Also, how's the sparkling wine? It's surprising not to see Champagne served alongside what looks to be a great product.
In JFK yes i would like lounge access, but honestly who in this community does not have a priority pass or amex platinum to get them lounge access. Plus lounge access is awful to what it was 5 years ago so its not a big loss and if you want lounge access so bad just make sure you have the right card.
I very nearly sarcastically offered you to review the door on 1F instead during this very flight!
My real takeaway was I didn’t find the suite to be pragmatic in any sense. If your partner is behind you and the person across the way is trying to not get all up in your business, who might actually sit in that little seat?
@Ben - There is something strange happening with the page. When I post a comment, it navigates me to another page.
I wouldn't pay a dime to sit in JetBlue men's seats that face away from the window. Purely nauseating. Virgin Atlantic tried this on their dreamliners, and it quickly disappeared after customers vehemently complained. I also don't like sitting on a cramped a321 when I can take a wide body. And sorry, mint is not even compare to something like polaris.
I wouldn't pay a dime to sit in JetBlue mint seats that face away from the window. Purely nauseating. Virgin Atlantic tried this on their dreamliners, and it quickly disappeared after customers vehemently complained. I also don't like sitting on a cramped A321 when I can take a wide body. And sorry, mint is not even compare to something like Polaris. The lack of lounge service alone is enough to keep me away.
We travel from Los Angeles to JFK on Jet Blue Mint every few months. We absolutely love it!! We are both vegan and there is an option on the app to pick special menu and a lot of other options for meals. Most that we have flown on every other seat is single and all the single seats have doors, very private. My partner and I like to fly together…we still enjoy each others company lol MINT has never disappointed us, We are treated so well, everything we could possibly need or want on a flight.
If traveling mint w a companion, which would make communication easier, sitting beside or in front of each other?
VS continue to have herringbone seats on their 787’s and some A330’s. I’d sooner fly JB than United given JB provide exemplary service. You’re lucky if United crew even acknowledge you.
Try booking your special meal ahead of time in the app since you’re a corner case, instead of whining about a non-issue?
I would agree. The Mint studio is not worth the price with the added noise and traffic. I think they really missed the boat if they wanted a competitive studio product. I also totally agree about the menu. If you have a dairy allergy and eggs and cheese are out there are rarely enough options. Simply not goid business.
Did anyone tell you that you get Pj's in the Mint Studio Suite? They are cute and you can keep them I am told.
If Jetblue wants to be a leader in the 'suite' market internationally a whole needs to improve. This is not a New York to LAX flight.
Did anyone know both domestically and internationally, Jetblue is now blocking seats for upgrades in the perk program, but I am told by Jetblue CSRs the mosaic member cannot use the upgrade perk until 14 days before. These seats are available for sale and a customer can purchase them if the system doesn't work correctly, which is frequently. It has happened to us and friends the week before which we did not know until after our incident. The rub is that Jetblue holds these seats and if a perk is not utilized to select the seat, Jetblue releases the seat(s) for sale at a hugely inflated price. If you are already in the section and realize this seat popped up at the last minute you can swap, but it is unlikely. We purchased 2a and 2f and we were issued a receipt stating those seats were purchased by us. Jetblue refused to honor it and someone put us in seats without our permission.
We are both stage 4 cancer patients and my companion will be almost three weeks out of major thoracic surgery (unexpected). He would rather crawl to the three remaining Grateful dead shows than miss them. Having someone bang into us just reverberates pain through the body. It is awful. I explained this and still no assistance. There are three other flights that morning with seats available and absolutely no help was offered. Jetblue has really forgot what customer service is. It is a shame. This trip put over $5k in Jetblue's pocket. There just isn't any customer appreciation. They do not take responsibility for there mistakes and this new program documentation contained nothing about them blocking off 15% or more of the Mint seats on each flight for perks. This means the seats offered initially will be offered at higher prices in line with their pricing model which closely resembles dynamic pricing.
Chose wisely fellow travelers. They have not changed the menu, hide policies and are seemingly manipulating seat inventory with these new policies to ensure higher ticket prices. We love the crews, but there is better business flying out there. It is less expensive, offers much better menus that accommodate dietary preference and need without a hassle or ignoring the written and phoned requests to confirm over years, and they have wonderful lounges that welcome you and provide the amenities that should be offered for the price you are paying.
My apologies for the length. The steroids get the best of me after chemo. We will think twice before putting money into Jetblue vacations and tickets again. We flew Turkish business last year. We were reluctant and almost changed airlines, but we bit the bullet and tried it. It was better than so many others. They accommodated every request and actual chefs prepare and serve your food on the plane, The lounges are incredible and they have agreements with partners should the airport not has a lounge specifically for their passengers.
It isn't my norm to put so much out there, but I am so upset and disappointed in Jetblue.
Best wishes all,
L&J
Mint's pods were great, but we won't fly in that cabin again. We were flying for business and our teen was accompanying us in coach. I took a small dessert that I wasn't able to eat (which would've been thrown away) to give to him. The flight attendant saw me and said, extremely abruptly, "Hey - Mint passengers aren't allowed to take food to coach passengers".
No need to talk so rudely, and with all the food waste in the world, a repellant policy.
Yes, I am vegetarian and will be traveling JetBlue mint from Boston to Amsterdam, In a couple of months, I just preordered my vegan meal. I think you can do this with any airline aswell
As a cancer survivor myself I really empathize with your issues and JetBlue. I love flying JetBlue, but I haven’t had special requests. So very often it all depends on the crew and their mood. A. business can only be as good as the front facing staff. Hopefully you both are doing well and can find some comfort and peace on your travels in another airline. I wish you both the best of health.